Highlands to externalise six care homes

A council in Scotland has voted to privatise six care homes saying it needs to free resources to fund care in the community for a rapidly ageing population. Highland Council said it had no choice but to act as it could no longer afford to run the homes in Inverness, Fort William, Grantown, Muir of Ord and Tain. The decision was the end of the road for campaigners who had fought to keep the homes under public control. Housing and social work director Harriet Dempster said the demographics of the area were changing rapidly and that it was expected that by 2024, the number of people in the Highlands over 65 would almost double from 36,000 to 60,000. Funds needed to be freed to deal with this change. Chief executive Arthur McCourt said the only alternative was higher council taxes and taking money from other services. One of those who spoke after the meeting was local MP and former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy. â€œIt is extremely regrettable the council could not agree to pause for thought over this process and